Things Fall Apart

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. The name says it all. It's a good book if you're in to being depressed and hating life. If you're one of those let's-all-be-happy people, I wouldn't recommend this one to you. For those of you are curious as to why Mrs. Cross' AP-class seniors who read this book didn't particularly care for it, I'll tell you why (I was one of those unfortunate few). I don't like reading a book that basically says life stinks, and it's never going to get better. Eventually, everything will, well, fall apart (clever book name, right). Now I know, there is a lot of literary value to this book; why else would we have it as an option to read? Really though, I know life tends to be a downer; people have bad days all of the time. But anyways, I'll sum this up for you. If you like depressing stories of failure and death, give it a try! If not, please don't. I think Mrs. Cross has heard enough complaining about this novel.

-Caroline

[Mrs. Cross Responds]: I can never hear too much complaining about a book--just like I can never hear too many good things about a text. Personal response to reading is an important part of the reading process. I, too, see the literary and cultural value of Achebe's best-seller. But, it's definitely not something I would read just for the fun of it. For all you soon-to-be AP Literature people -- this book comes highly recommended. For everyone looking for a fun read, this is probably not the pick for you.